Best Years of Axel's Life
by Kh-hp-Disneylover809
Summary: Axel falls for a human girl that lives in Twilight Town, despite the Org. XIII disapproval. Axelxoc, RoxasxXion. Ratings will change if needed.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A Human Attraction

_**A/N: Yes, I'm using my name. Sue me.**_

Axel stretched his tired muscles after another mission for the order-barking-insult-flinging boss man. When it came to Saix though, all he heard was nag, nag, nag. Boss-man and Saix seriously treated Axel like a mule. Maybe some ice cream would beat away the hurt. He looked and saw the sunset. It was brighter than yesterday's and shone like a diamond. As he walked, he saw Roxas and Xion walking to the ice cream stand and his problems melted away.

"Yo, Roxas, Xion," he said, approaching the teens. "Get any good ice cream." He smiled when they turned to look at him. "How was the mission, guys?"

"It wasn't too bad," said Roxas. "Xion took the Heartless out faster than you styling your hair." He gave the girl a friendly smile.

"Hey," said Axel, mockingly hurt and he pressed a hand to his chest. "This hair is my pride and joy next to you two." He finally smiled a contagious smile and then went back to inquiring the mission. To Axel, Saix and Xemnas overworked the poor teens. They needed to go to the beach like he promised them just to get away from it all. Maybe he could buy them swimsuits.

Before they could resume the conversation, a girl with gorgeous chocolate colored hair walked by. Axel looked right her and saw her, paying no heed to Roxas, who was waving a hand in his face. The woman flicked her hair over her shoulder and began talking to the trio that lived there. Too transfixed on her, Axel started drooling. Her long perfect legs were shown off by the jean shorts she wore and she had a blue tank top pronouncing her upper figure. Her face was innocent and beautiful, something not common for a Nobody to see. Her eyes were gentle brown but had a laughing glow in them. Her voice, as he could hear, sounded like music and honey.

"Whoa," said Axel, totally engrossed by her. "They don't make them like that where I came from." When he saw the confused looks on the two teens' faces, he said, "You two get the ice cream and I'll meet you there. I'm going to get acquainted with beautiful standing there."

Before they could argue, Axel sauntered over to the girl who was inconveniently walking away. _Damn, _thought Axel, running to catch the woman that was disappearing into the crowd of people that smelled like sun-screen. In the crowd, he saw her walking up the stairs that led to the trolley shed. With hurried "excuse me's", Axel ran to catch up to the innocent temptress.

"Miss," he called out to her and she turned to look at him curiously. When he caught up to her, he said, "Hi, I'm Axel. A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?" His voice sounded thick and seductive and it made her blush a bit. "What's your name, beautiful?"

"My name is Shelby," she said a little apprehensively. "It means willow." Her eyes looked intuitive and suspicious.

"Yes, you are," said Axel, giving her a mesmerizing look that looked hypnotic with green eyes like his. "Willow trees are pretty gorgeous and I think you hit every pretty branch on the way down." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Shelby chuckled once and the corner of lips twitched as she did laugh. Her eyes looked protective and a little apprehensive. Axel wondered if he did something wrong because he was only innocently flirting with her. Immediately his face and eyes went seriously, which was rare for him, so he could calm her a bit. He removed a glove and ran his bare hand through her soft locks gently.

Her face was one that was fragile and petite because it was so small and beautiful. Her skin was pale with pink cheeks that made her look like a princess. Her little nose was pointed and perfect for her face and her big brown eyes began losing the apprehension. Her lips were full and rose-colored and kissable. Her white straight teeth looked like she was on a poster for a toothpaste ad, which was impressive to Axel.

"Anata ga utsukushii desu," whispered Axel seductively, as he caressed her chin.

"What does that mean?" she asked breathlessly. She tried to look like she was calm but he could sense her heart pounding with adrenaline.

"Does it matter?" he flung back at her. Then he remembered Roxas and Xion were waiting for him. "Well, I'll see you later, okay, gorgeous?"

"Sure," she said dismissively. "See you later, Axel." She finally escaped Axel and swiftly walked off.

"Gentlemen, start your engines," said Axel as he watched her walk away. When she was gone, he ran to get to the clock tower. Roxas and Xion would kill him if he didn't show up.

Upon arriving, he saw Roxas and Xion laughing and a pang of jealousy went through his chest. They acted like they didn't care he was there or not. Roxas looked over and saw Axel. A smile was on his face as he gestured Axel to sit with them. Axel took his place next between Roxas and Xion and began eating the ice cream they saved him. The two teens both rested their heads on his arms wearily.

"So, Axel," said Xion jokingly, "did she slap like all the other women you hit on?"

"Nope," said Axel smugly. "I shot and I scored. Her name's Shelby. Ah, my willow tree." His eyes looked all dreamy and happy like he was daydreaming about her. He could feel her fingers touching his spikes and stroking his face with love and gentleness. He could see her smiling lovingly and her eyes glowing with love and joy.

"Oh, boy," sighed Roxas, shaking his head. "Xion, Axel is going into a hormonal daydream." He pinched Axel in the arm hard enough to make him jump. "Axel, wake up."

"Sorry, kids," said Axel, shaking his head. "Well, I got to go. X-face wants my report so better go before he nags me to oblivion." He stood with a smile and walked into a dark corridor.

…..

After giving his report, Axel confined himself into his room and took out his private journal. On a blank page, he began writing a song for Shelby. It reflected his feelings for her. When he was done, he read it to himself with a smile.

_"__I get such a thrill__  
><em>_When you look in my eyes__  
><em>_My heart skips a beat, girl__  
><em>_I feel so alive__  
><em>_Please tell me baby__  
><em>_If all this is true__  
><em>_'Cause deep down inside__  
><em>_All I wanted was you___

_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_Makes me wanna dance__  
><em>_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_It's a new romance__  
><em>_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_I look into your eyes__  
><em>_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_Best years of our lives___

_When we first met__  
><em>_I could hardly believe__  
><em>_The things that would happen__  
><em>_That we could achieve__  
><em>_So let's be together__  
><em>_For all of our time__  
><em>_We'll go out so thankful__  
><em>_That you are still mine___

_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_Makes me wanna dance__  
><em>_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_It's a new romance__  
><em>_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_I look into your eyes__  
><em>_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_Best years of our lives___

_My world's a better place__  
><em>_'Cause I know you're mine__  
><em>_This love is so real__  
><em>_And it's no surprise___

_Come on and say, "Yeah"__  
><em>_I got a song__  
><em>_Yeah..__  
><em>_'Cause through the years__  
><em>_I'll be right by your side___

_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_Makes me wanna dance__  
><em>_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_It's a new romance__  
><em>_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_I look into your eyes__  
><em>_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_Best years of our lives___

_See, you always consider me__  
><em>_Like a ogre, nothing__  
><em>_And treat me__  
><em>_Like a Notre Dame__  
><em>_I says why__  
><em>_I helped you keep my shine on__  
><em>_A perky little something__  
><em>_To keep my mind on__  
><em>_'Cause you had my mind gone___

_Aa-aa, aa-aa, aa-aa__  
><em>_Turn the lights on__  
><em>_Come on baby__  
><em>_Lets just rewind the song__  
><em>_'Cause all I wanna do is make__  
><em>_The rest years the best years__  
><em>_All night long___

_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_Makes me wanna dance__  
><em>_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_It's a new romance__  
><em>_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_I look into your eyes__  
><em>_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_Best years of our lives___

_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_Makes me wanna dance__  
><em>_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_It's a new romance__  
><em>_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_I look into your eyes__  
><em>_Ohhhh...__  
><em>_Best years of our lives_

_**A/N: This is my first Axel/OC fanfic. Read and Review please :). **_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Operation: Match-up

_**A/N: This is where the humor begins. What would happen if Demyx, Xigbar, and Zexion (against his wishes) try to pair Axel and his girl up? Pure chaos!**_

Axel was walking down the hall, thinking of those beautiful brown eyes that haunted him all night. As he walked down the hall, he nearly collided with Xigbar, who was looking through a swimsuit magazine. Xigbar looked up and his gaze followed the drunken strides of Axel. Flamesilocks seemed to be troubled by something, if it were possible for a Nobody. The one-eyed man studied Axel's drunken strides and decided to gossip with Demyx, his partner-in-crime.

"Hey, Dem," said Xigbar, sitting down on the couch where the sitar-playing man was. "Have you noticed Axel has been acting strange-r? He nearly collided with me in the hall and didn't even look at me."

"Maybe he's tired," suggested Demyx, ceasing his sitar-playing. "I mean, he didn't pay attention to the meeting this morning. I think you know what this means."

"It's recon time," said Xigbar, nodding in agreement. "Today Axel has a mission to Agrabah. While he's out, we'll look around in his room."

The two impatiently waited until Axel finally left without saying a word to Saix. When Saix's back was turned, Xigbar and Demyx scrambled out of the room to get up to ole Number Eight's room. Demyx knew where it was because he shared the floor with Axel and Saix. When they got into Axel's room, they slid the door open and saw that nothing was out of the ordinary. His bed was made neatly, his floor was clean, and nothing looked suspicious. The two began looking around until Xigbar found a red hard-backed book in the desk drawer. He pulled it out and began reading. The recent entry was from yesterday.

_"Today I met the most beautiful human in existence. Her hair was intoxicating with its smell and how it ruffled in the warm breeze of Twilight Town. Her brown soul-shattering eyes have been in my mind for hours now. I don't think I'll sleep tonight without seeing them. Even though we are apart now, I can still hear the musical note in her lovely voice. I even wrote a song to express my feelings for her, if it's possible for a Nobody."_

Xigbar read the lyrics of the song and realization hit him. Axel was in love with a human girl and he wrote a song dedicated to her.

"Dem, get over here," he whispered loudly. "I found Axel's dirty little secret. He's in love with a human."

"Oh, baby," said Demyx, running over to look at the page. As he read it, a mischievous glow entered his eyes. "It's time for us to unite and become the E-Harmony experts we are. This is our new mission: Get Axel together with Shelby. Failure is not an option."

"Guys," they heard Zexion's voice and turned to see him carrying a laundry basket, "what are you two doing? Is that Axel's journal?" Fear was in his tone and his visible eye widened warily like he was expecting a bomb to blow.

"Zex," said Demyx, going up to him, "Axel is in love with a human girl named Shelby. Read." He shoved the book under Zexion's chin and he began reading.

"'She makes me feel like I have a heart,'" he read the last line aloud. "Wow, Axel." He sounded more surprised than impressed. "I never thought someone as private as Axel would fall in love and this isn't one of his perverted crushes. This is true love."

"We should do something about it," said Xigbar, grinning menacingly.

"'We,'" repeated Zexion warily. "As in, you, me, and Demyx?"

"Exactly," replied Xigbar, grinning like the Cheshire cat in WonderLand. "We will unite to become the SAT FAST."

"The what?" demanded Zexion, looking absolutely appalled.

"The Super-Awesome-Trio-Forming-Axel-and-Shelby-Together," interpreted Xigbar proudly. "Now, men, let's go forth for love, passion, and gossip." Proudly, the trio went out of the room—well, Zexion wasn't proud, mostly annoyed—and began formulating plans to get the two unsuspecting people together.

Zexion knew this would not end well.

…..

After the mission, Axel went to Twilight Town to find Shelby. He stealthily went through the city and found her at the beach among all of the colorful umbrellas. In the sand bank, he saw a brown-haired beauty in a pink-and-white bikini. She sat on a white beach towel feeling the ocean air on her face. He crept up behind her and tapped on her shoulder. She jumped at the touch and turned to look up at him.

"Axel," she said in a tone of mingled surprise and relief, "what are you doing here? I thought you were busy." Her eyes bored into his inquisitively and he almost melted at the intensity.

"Well," said Axel, for once losing his cool, "I-I wanted to see you again. I finished my mission so I figured I'd visit you."

"Oh, that's thoughtful," said Shelby, scooting over to make room for him to sit down, which he did. "What are your missions for?"

"Well," Axel hesitated then looked into her eyes; they looked trustful. "I am a Nobody."

"But you're like everyone else," she said, shaking her head. "You look and act like other people."

"No," said Axel quietly, "I don't have a heart. Feel right here." He grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest. A blush flooded her face because of the intense stare he gave her and how his hand was pressing to hers. He wanted to feel her fingertips on his skin but he dismissed that thought.

"I can't feel anything," said Shelby in shock. "Why don't you have a heart?"

He hesitated then looked at how she sat patiently on the towel in her bikini and he sighed. "The darkness overtook my body and released my heart. The only thing that remains is the shell of my body."

"So you're a vampire?" she asked, cocking her head to one side.

He laughed out loud at that notion. It took him a while to recover himself because of how funny her question sounded and how no one ever asked him that. "A vampire?" he asked once he was done. "Really? No, I'm not. I'm a _Nobody_. We can get injured and tired, unlike vampires, and we don't drink blood. We can't feel emotions though like anger, sadness, or joy. Most of the time, we fake it to fool people."

"But you do look happy," said Shelby innocently. "Are you faking with me?"

"I'm not sure," said Axel mostly to himself. "My head is whirling, my hands are tingling, and my breath is short. Is this anxiety, anticipation, or joy? I don't know." He gazed at Shelby, who stared at him unblinkingly. "When I'm around you, I feel…different, like I can feel a heart in me pounding away." Without thinking, Axel lifted his gloved hand and let his fingers brush her reddened cheek.

"Axel…" she murmured softly. Her eyes closed shut and her heart raced a thousand miles an hour. Axel could tell she was nervous and happy. To make it better, he bent in close and pressed his forehead to hers. He loved the feel of her soft breath on his face and he began to feel tingles down below.

_"Ai shi teru, shan mitsukai,"_ he whispered intensely to her, causing her to shudder then blush even more. He removed his gloves and let his bare hands caress her face. Her skin was even more softer than he imagined. _"Mitsukai."_ He felt her shudder again and her heart tripled in speed. "Your heart is so pure," he said huskily, which sounded like music to her ears. "The darkness is nothing to the light in your pure heart."

"Oh, Axel…" she sighed, feeling her body go limp because of the intensity. His mesmerizing green eyes bore into hers in a hot, lustful way and it got her suit damp. _No, you don't even know him that well,_ she chastised herself. With all of the dignity she had left, she said, "Axel, can you love?"

"I don't know," he said honestly. "When I'm around you, I feel whole like I don't need Kingdom Hearts to fulfill me."

"What's Kingdom Hearts?" she asked quietly.

"The almighty heart," he answered. "It has the power to give hearts. If I had to choose between a heart and you I'd choose you." His eyes and tone filled with seriousness.

"Axel," a sharp voice called from behind them and Axel turned to see Saix glaring at him. "You were supposed to RTC thirty minutes ago. Who's your little friend?" That came out in sarcasm.

"I'm Shelby," she answered for herself.

"Whatever," said Saix, turning to Axel. "Axel, come to the castle now. Say good-bye to your little girlfriend."

"Bye," said Axel in a stoic tone and he kissed her on the cheek. He stood up, back to her, and followed Saix into the dark corridor, feeling a sharp sting in his chest. He didn't want to go back to the castle. He wanted to be with her and live a normal life again. Judging by the way Saix looked he was going to get the lecture of his life.

…..

Even when they got back, Axel and Saix's argument didn't stop. In fact, they went all the way to the library to yell at each other. Some offensive things were said like insults and curse words but that did not soothe Axel's anger; it only inflamed it even more. The people who thought red-heads were easily-angered were right when it came to him. Every time Saix spoke it pissed Axel off. Saix always treated Axel, his old friend, like a stranger or an unwanted visitor and it crushed Axel. As much as he loved to hang around with Roxas and Xion, he still wanted to confide in people his own age.

"God, Saix," shouted Axel thunderously. "You ruined a perfect day! If you didn't show up, I would have kissed her! Well, say something!" His whole body felt like it was on fire because how angry he was. His eyes were blazing with the element he perfected—fire.

"Axel," shouted Saix, for once losing his cool, "you feel nothing! It is only a memory of an emotion! You are living a lie!"

"As far as I'm concerned," said Axel in his most low and coldest tone, "you're the one living a lie. Why can't you consider the thoughts that Nobodies can feel and express? Our emotions come from the brain, not the heart! I love her and there is nothing you can do about it! I love her, Nobody or not! This discussion is over!" With that, before Saix could speak, Axel stormed out of the library, angry enough to kill someone.

Once he got up to his room, he sat down and began writing in his journal. The pen he used almost poked a hole in the page because how mad he was. What he wrote was:

_I hate Saix if it's possible for a Nobody. Who gives him the right to say if we can or can't love? The feelings I feel for Shelby are as real as the sunset in Twilight Town. I almost kissed her and then cock-block Saix arrived and forced me to leave. I would give anything to be near her again. I know now that I love her with all of my non-existence. Her bikini was so hot and sexy that I wanted to rip it off and just take her right there. Well, nothing else to report for now. _

With that, Axel set his pen down and lay down on his bed to go to sleep. He didn't feel hungry for dinner, only tired. He was mentally and physically exhausted from his arguing with Saix. _It wasn't always like that,_ Axel thought, thinking back to the times when they were friends. A single, lone tear trickled down his cheek at what he was missing.

…..

A little later, Xigbar, Demyx, and Zexion slipped into Axel's room to see him sleeping soundly and decided to read his journal again to see if there were any updates. Zexion was to stand guard just in case he woke up while Xigbar and Demyx did the peeping. Xigbar found the journal in the place it was left at that morning and opened the page after the old entry. He read the new one carefully and smiled menacingly.

"Hey, Dem," he whispered, "read this." He handed the journal to Demyx and he began reading it. About five minutes into it, he snorted a laugh.

"So, Axel is truly in love with her," he said, "and he wants to lay her. Awesome." Cringing at how loud his voice was, he saw Axel stir and then wake up.

"Demyx, Xigbar, Zexion," he said sleepily as he sat up, "what are you guys doing here? Is that my journal you're reading?" He was wide awake now as he summoned his chakrams. "Get out!" Flames shot out at them and the three dropped the journal, running for their lives.

_So far, _thought Zexion as he ran, _this plan will end up in the toilet faster than those beans Vexen ate yesterday. _

...

Axel lied back down and fell asleep thinking of the brown-haired goddess he loved more than his existence. She meant everything to him now. No one could break them apart, not even the Organization. As for Xigbar, Demyx, and Zexion, he might have to hurt them tomorrow for snooping in his affairs. Just the thought of that made a smile spread on Axel's face. _Good night, Shelby, my angel._ As he snuggled into his pillow, he was out like a light.

_**A/N: Read and Review please! Let me know if you liked it or not. No flames please (although Axel might like that). **_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Emotions

The next day, Axel made his way down the hall thinking about Shelby and what she was doing. He already missed her even though he saw her just twelve hours prior. The thought of her smile and soft eyes sent a jolt of painful need in his chest. How was it possible for a Nobody to feel something like that? Is what Xemnas said about fake emotions true? Axel knew for certain that this girl unlocked his emotions. Her heart being in close contact with his made him have that bizarre feeling of humanity. He couldn't, however, bring her into his world because of how innocent and light she was.

Axel sat down on the couch in the gray room and began thinking about her with a smile on his face. Why did he feel like this? Was it normal to want to be near someone you loved just to breathe? He loved and needed her. Back when he was a boy, he heard the story of Adam and Eve and wondered if Adam needed Eve the way he needed Shelby. He felt like he needed her to breathe and rest easy.

Before Axel could ponder more, he spotted Saix giving him a disapproving look and then he looked back to his clipboard. A trill of irritation went through Axel when he saw Saix look at him like that. Saix always acted more of a prick than he ever did before. Was it because Axel was in love, or something else?

"Saix," said Axel, standing up, "don't hold it in. Spit it out. If you've got something to say, say it." He didn't mean to sound sharp; it just came out that way.

"Fine then," was Saix's cold reply, "I'll spit it out. You will stop seeing this insignificant human or else I'll do all I can to make her into a Heartless." His words sent a blade further and further into Axel's gut and it got his insides on fire with anger.

"If you lay one hand on her," said Axel in a loud tone, enunciating every word carefully, "I'll kill you."

All of the members in the room looked from Axel to Saix anxiously like they were expecting a fight. There were a few silent, tense moments and Axel and Saix stood ground, glaring at each other heatedly. How did their old friendship as somebodies turn out to be like this? Axel didn't know what he did to make Saix hate him so much.

"Pity," spat Saix. "You're willing to kill another member just to be with a stupid girl. She's a stupid human who is nothing but trouble—" Saix was cut off by Axel punching him hard in the face, knocking him against a wall. Saix didn't even retaliate because how surprised he was.

"Don't," growled Axel angrily, feeling the fire blaze in his chest again, "ever call her stupid or insignificant." With a huff, Axel turned away and disappeared into a dark corridor. He decided to have a holiday without the Organization's permission. He needed to cool off (literally) and think.

Before wondering where to go, Axel appeared in Twilight Town by the clock tower. A cool midday breeze rustled through his hair and caused his coat edges to flap in the breeze. He looked at the sunset, feeling his anger draining away. Twilight Town always made him feel at peace and human. There were no Organization duties to worry about when he was there. Before he could think about the sunset however, he saw a familiar brown-haired girl moving through the district.

Axel started and broke into a run to catch up to her. She didn't stop because she didn't have a clue of Axel's presence. He could tell something was wrong with her because of how her form was shaking like she was crying. She finally stopped running when Axel called her name out. When she turned, Axel saw that she had tears on her cheeks.

"Shelby," he said again, approaching her. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, Axel," she said in a tearfully thick tone, "it's you." She sounded more relieved than disappointed. "It's just…" She couldn't finish because she began crying again. Before Axel could think, he ran up to her and swept her up in his arms. He could feel her body shake with sobs but he held her tight in an embrace.

"Don't cry," he told her tenderly, smoothing her hair. "It hurts to see you sad. Tell me what's wrong."

She lifted her head out of his chest and gave him a tearful smile. "W-well, my heart feels like it's breaking because of my loneliness. I feel alone even with my friends and family like something is missing."

"I'll fix that," said Axel, pressing a hand to her cheek and swooping down to capture her lips in a kiss.

It started out soft but grew harsher as her lips began pressing and moving with his fiery hot ones. He could feel a tingling in his body and like someone let a hot air balloon deflate in his core. Her soft cool lips felt like a remedy for heartburn and it strengthened his feelings for her. It felt as though the world stopped and aligned with the other ones. There was moment to breathe and then he gave her a soft kiss again before breaking it off to look in her eyes.

"Do you feel better?" he asked after a moment.

"Yes," she whispered, smiling with joy. "Axel, I love you." Those were the words he wanted her to say since he met her and it sounded so much better coming from her real lips.

"I love you too," he said intensely, "got it memorized?" His hand caressed her face and he bent down to kiss her again.

In the kiss he gave her he felt whole again like he had a heart and soul. No one could take this feeling away not even the Organization. To feel her gentle softness against his body made him almost lose control. It felt so nice to feel her heartbeat on his chest and to feel her steady breathing on his neck. It felt like someone tossed a lit match into his soul and was consuming him with fire.

"I have to go," he said softly, but she clung to him.

"Don't go," she whispered pitifully. "Take me with you, Axel." Her eyes were full of begging that he couldn't object.

"All right," he said after thinking it through. "I'd like to introduce you to everyone anyway. Take my hand." He held his hand out invitingly and she took it tightly. Within a minute, they stood outside the castle.

…..

Axel led Shelby through the halls and took her to the gray room. He saw Xigbar reading a porn magazine and Demyx strumming away at his sitar. The two men looked up from their activities when they saw Shelby and Axel. Xigbar eyed her with a gaze that stopped shortly at her breasts and then went to her face. Axel would have pounded him to a bloody pulp but there was a lady present.

"Hey, guys," he said, "this is Shelby, my girlfriend." He gave her a tender smile and said, "Oh, and guys, don't hit on her. I'll burn you to a crisp if you do."

"Don't kill me for saying this but you know how to pick them, Axel," said Xigbar, mostly staring at her breasts. "She's smoking hot."

"Xigbar," said Axel, "back off, would you?" He took Shelby by the arm and led her out of the room.

"Sorry," he apologized, "Xigbar is kinda horny no matter his age."

"It's okay," said Shelby lightly. "I got those kinds of compliments in high school."

"I can see why," said Axel lustfully. "You're drop-dead sexy." He brushed his lips against her ear and felt her shudder with delight.

…..

When they got to his room, they lay down on the bed and cuddled with each other. Right now, this was a perfect moment Axel wanted to fix in his memory. He felt like she was the most important thing in his life next to Roxas and Xion. He lovingly caressed her cheek as she began to fall asleep on his chest. He wasn't tired earlier but now he felt wiped out. His eyes slowly closed and he felt himself drift to heaven with his love.

_**A/N: Read and Review! I love hearing comments!**_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Holiday Joy

Axel POV

I was positive that I was head over heels in love with my girl, Shelby. Unknown to the organization, I'd sneak out and go see her at her house. Sometimes, we'd exchange a few sweet kisses and lay in her bed all snuggled up. Unlike the beds at the castle, her bed was nice and cozy and big enough for three people. I wasn't a molly-coddling type of person but Saix was beginning to openly threaten so I'd sometimes spend the night in Shelby's room, just in case Saix planned to kill her in her sleep. No one really knew of my feelings for her, except for Roxas and Xion (they would be the only ones I'd tell anything to), but I had a strange feeling that Xemnas and Saix knew of my comings and goings.

Now wasn't the time to worry about those two buzz kills but I was mostly concerned of why Xigbar, Demyx, and Zexion kept popping up in my life. It seemed like everywhere I went, there they were spying on me. Did Saix or Xemnas give them a secret mission to spy on my actions? I swore to myself that if they did I would deep fry the three culprits and donate them to KFC for food—well, maybe not Zexion because he was too mature to be involved in something stupid. Xigbar and Demyx probably talked him into it but I wasn't going to do anything…for now.

After a long day of doing a mission, I gave my report to Saix, showered, told everyone I was going shopping for Christmas gifts (yeah it was coming around the corner), and snuck to Shelby's house. Twilight Town was different during the winter season because it actually snowed but it looked beautiful. The ocean got roped off though because the ice and parents didn't want their kids to fall through it. Despite the secure lockdown on things, the city looked like a Hallmark card because of the snow, lights, decorations, and everything. Sometimes, it was nice enough for me and Shelby to walk around town and window shop. Little did she know that I got her gift.

Like the fiery assassin I was, I grabbed the spare key from underneath the welcome mat of Shelby's house and unlocked the door. Her parents were totally tight on security even when they were home; must have been some sort of Italian thing. When I entered into the warm house, I wasn't welcomed with her dad holding a baseball bat or her mom wielding a frying pan but Shelby herself curled up on the couch in front of the TV in a pair of warm sweats and a long sleeved shirt taking a nap with earphones in her ears. I bit back a chuckle, knowing she probably went to sleep listening to music. It seemed nowadays she rarely got sleep and when she did she'd wake up too early (A/N: I used to be like that but not anymore since I take Ambien).

I made my way over to the couch silently and bent down to look at her calm face. It had been the first time in a while since I'd seen her that calm. Because of the Christmas rush, she and her mom were frantic preparing for Christmas Eve and then some. It seemed like she was cooking dessert or something because her hair was slightly askew and something smelled nice from the kitchen. I wanted to have a taste test but I knew Shelby's mom and Shelby herself would beat my face in if I ruined their perfect cooking concoctions.

"Shelby," I whispered, shaking her by the shoulder lightly to rouse her.

She stretched and yawned before opening her eyes to look at me. The weariness was replaced with love and I was welcomed with a warm embrace. I held her close to my chest and inhaled the sweet scent coming off from her hair. I liked her hugs because they were big, warm, chesty hugs if you all know what I mean (wink, wink). She seemed truly happy to see me but her body was tense especially her shoulders. Poor thing was probably so busy preparing for Christmas Eve that the stress went to her shoulders like it did for most women.

"Love," I said tenderly, feeling the tightness in her shoulders, "your shoulders are really tight. What have you been doing, carting around a thousand pounds on your back?" I meant to be teasing but her pretty face went serious and she looked a little uptight like she was premenstrual but that wasn't possible because she had her cycle the week prior.

"FYI, Axel," she said moodily, detaching herself from me as she rubbed her shoulders, "I've been busy cooking, cleaning, and preparing for Christmas Eve and I haven't had time to rest or relax so if you're going to joke…"

I broke her off by kissing her on the lips and I gathered her in my arms again tightly. Like it was my last day on earth with her, I held her to my chest and rested back on the couch by placing myself atop of her. A million times she said no to sex but that didn't mean we couldn't be intimate. Our lips moved together in sync and I felt her body relax in my arms. In my head I did a victory dance because I melted her heart and relaxed her. Thank God her parents or annoying little sister weren't present because I'd probably be pushing their fists out of my face right about now but I was too busy kissing the girl I loved.

To my intense joy, I felt her little hands grip the lapels of my coat as if pulling me closer (if it were even possible given to the position we were in). She seemed like she was happy because I heard happy coos come from her smiling lips and she held onto me tightly. God, did I love this girl. The subtlest things she did turned me on but I didn't want to push that on her because if we had sex I knew her parents would probably neuter me and then send me to Timbuktu.

It seemed to get heated but as soon as I lifted her shirt hem up a bit she broke it off and pushed me back by the shoulders. "Axel, stop," she gasped, blushing heavily from well, you know. "We can't do this right now. I wanna do it right." Even though her statement sounded hokey, I knew she was right—she was always right when it came to things like that.

"Sorry," I said, scooting back a bit to give her room. "So how are you—I mean, how have you been?"

"I've been all right," she said, smiling finally. "I'm in love with my baby cousin. She makes the cutest little noises when she's sucking her thumb."

Suddenly an idea hit me. "Hey, Shell-Shell," I said, "maybe I can go with you to your family get-together for Christmas Eve." My eyes lit up with my smile but she looked a little disheartened. "What's wrong?"

"Axel," she said, "I have a crazy Italian family, and won't Xemnas get suspicious?"

"But baby, you're so delicious," I purred out seductively—yes, I used my skills to negotiate my way.

I saw her squirm but her eyes didn't look nervous—just one little push. "My parents would pace floor," she stammered nervously.

"Mind if I move in closer?" I purred again, stroking her cheek gently enough to make her a trembling mess.

Oh, yeah she was trembling all right and she looked completely off guard—score one for me. "Okay, fine," she said as if she'd regret it. "You can come but just don't act like an idiot."

"But, baby," I said innocently, "I wouldn't do anything to embarrass you, got it memorized?"

Unlike Roxas and Xion, she rolled her eyes irritably at me catchphrase and turned away from me like saying "really".

"Babe," I said, stroking her hair gently, "you know I'm serious, just look in my eyes."

I grabbed her gently by the jaw and angled her to look in my eyes. She looked into my eyes gently as she ran her slim, long fingers through my spiky hair lovingly. I had never loved my hair as much as I did right now and her touch was so damn gentle that I felt like I was going to explode with joy. When I was around her, I felt more like a somebody than a nobody. How cliché…

"Baby," I said huskily, causing her to look at me more, "when I'm around you, I feel like a human rather than a nobody. I know it sounds cliché but it's true."

She smiled tenderly and leant forward to give me a kiss. As usual, she intended it to be short and sweet but I couldn't help grasping her small face in my hands and kiss her passionately. She seemed to be surprised at first but then she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me back with all that she had. I loved feeling her gentle lips on mine because it made me feel like I was an ordinary human in love.

After we finished kissing, I rested on the couch with her and held her on top of me. Her light fingers sleepily caressed my coat but I could feel her touch easily. Like the gentle person I was, I began rubbing her back tenderly and felt her beginning to fall asleep. I began to hum a gentle lullaby I heard when I was a kid and it made her fall sleep quicker. After I was finished with the lullaby, I closed my eyes and fell asleep, feeling her gentle heartbeat on my chest.

This was heaven, I was sure of it.

_**A/N: Hi everyone, I finally got a muse to write another chapter to this! I hope you like it! The next one will feature the holiday party and the reaction of her parents. Poor Axel will be in for the ride of his life. Read and Review please!**_

_** Songs listened to while making this:**_

_** Halo-Beyonce**_

_** Only You Can Love Me This Way- Keith Urban**_

_** I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes-Dierks Bentley**_

_** River Flows in You-Yiruma (the song Axel hums)**_


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